


From the Heart

by TimelessWriting



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Gift Fic, Tsubaki for best wingman, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, soul eater evans is absolutely respectful of boundaries u can't prove me wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 18:50:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18212210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimelessWriting/pseuds/TimelessWriting
Summary: Soul is just a teensy bit stressed on what to give Maka for Valentine's and gets a bit of help, so he and Maka can have the cheesy Valentine's Day dinner they deserve.





	From the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift fic for @affectionatetea on twitter, who drew me an absolutely incredible piece of art for her half of the trade. Sorry this is so late, but I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> In this fic, Soul and Maka are both 16, since I went based off their pre-timeskip ages. It's been six years since I've written Soul Eater, so hopefully I did them justice lmao.

“Soul? Is that you?”

Soul stiffened from where he was hunched over squinting at book spines, and slowly turned around as casually as he could muster to face whoever had called out to him. As soon as he realized it was Tsubaki though, and not say, Patty or Liz, he let himself slouch back down.

“‘Sup,” He gave her a mock salute. “It’s been a while. How’s it hanging? Whatcha doin’ around here?”

Her laugh was like flowers in the wind, and Soul could almost feel all his stresses being blown away with just the sound of it––and trust him, he had a lot right now. He could use some rejuvenating Tsubaki laughter in his life,

“It’s been good. I volunteer here in my spare time, when Black Star and I aren’t training. It’s a nice change in pace…” She didn’t finish her reasoning, but Soul couldn’t help but huff out a laugh in response. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why she appreciated a change in environment so much. Black Star’s energy was such a stark contrast to her disposition that Soul was baffled by how she managed to enjoy spending as much time around him as she did.

Still, Tsubaki wasn’t one to allow the conversation to linger on her for too long, and was quick to peer down at him and inquire as to what brought Soul to the library. After all, it wasn’t as if he particularly made it a habit to visit when not accompanying Maka.

Soul visibly cringed at the reminder, and sent a resigned look at the books he had just been burning down a few minutes ago with the intensity of his gaze. He had looking into the stacks for so long that his eyes had begun to glaze over, and he really didn’t understand how Maka managed to spend hours of their precious weekends off doing the same thing.

… Well, he supposed she probably felt the same way when he left to go practice shooting hoops for a few hours.

“Well, you see… Valentine’s Day is tomorrow so…” He shifted from one foot to another, and carefully looked away as to avoid Tsubaki’s attentive eyes. God, this was so embarrassing to say aloud. “I dunno, I figured I’d try and make Maka something nice, since we’re dating now and all. I thought I’d try my hand at baking but… sharing a kitchen would mean she knows right away. It’s gotta be something small too, or else Blair would go and spill everything to everyone she knows ever, and that would freaking suck.”

An expression of understanding dawned immediately over Tsubaki’s face, and she muffled a quiet laugh behind her hand. Her eyes sparkled with mirth, and she was quick to offer over her kitchen for his usage. Taking pity on a kindred spirit, one could say.

“Black Star always tries to help in the kitchen when he’s home and… makes quite a mess in his efforts,” Despite the harsh commentary, the words were entirely free of malice. In fact, Soul would say they were more fond annoyance than anything else. “He’s not home during the day though since he’s out training, so you’re more than welcome to come over and borrow our kitchen.”

“Seriously?” Soul’s eyes lit up, and a toothy grin spread across his face. “Thanks, dude! I totally appreciate it.”

“Anything for a friend!” There was a pregnant pause. “... Did you have anything else you planned on putting together for Maka’s gift? I’m sure I could help you find things for it; it is my job after all.”

The smile Soul bit back at her cheeky tone dissipated almost as soon as it came, the moment he properly processed what she had asked. He sent yet another reluctant gaze to the bookshelf he stood right in front of, and this time he didn’t hold back the groan that bubbled up in the back of his throat.

“Yeah, about that…”

* * *

 “Jesus Christ!” Soul cursed as he snatched his hand back from the hot glue gun he had borrowed from Tsubaki. It sat innocently on the table, the dull shine of the metal tip seeming as if it was mocking him, and he gave it the strongest look of frustration and disdain that he could muster. He knew he looked like a fool, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

“Soul? Are you there?” Liz poked her head into the kitchen-dining area, and took a cursory glance around the state of the table before a disgruntled expression settled itself on her face. She opened her mouth to spill the unsettled thoughts running through her head, but she didn’t even get the chance to let out a breath before she was practically bowled over by her sister. “Patty! Watch where you’re going!”

Patty giggled and peeled her arms off from around her sister’s neck. “Sorry, Liz! I was just so excited!”

Liz sighed, and redirected her focus back towards Soul, who had been nursing his burnt finger inside his mouth and eyeing them with a raised eyebrow. Clearly he expected an explanation for their sudden appearance.

“Tsubaki said she thought you may need help…?” She offered up, giving him an awkward smile. “She leant us her key and asked us to come over and check up on you to see if you needed help with anything. If the state of this room says anything, clearly you do.”

Soul shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged.

“It’s fine. I got it under control.”

Liz leveled him with a stare and propped her hands up on her hips, stance wide and practically screaming no funny business. If Soul had been any less of the person he was, he would have immediately shrunk under her gaze.

“Clearly,” She deadpanned. “Look, why don’t you just let us help you? You get your present, I don’t have to watch you embarrass yourself, and we all win! It’s an easy choice.”

Soul immediately shook his head and asserted, “No, absolutely not. I have to make it myself, or else it doesn’t mean anything. What kind of guy would I be if I gave my girlfriend a present I had someone else make for me? That’s so lame.”

“Y’know, sometimes you sound a lot like Kid,” Patty hummed from where she stood by her sister’s side, rocking from one foot to the other with practiced ease. “That sounds exactly like something he would say. He’s always so determined to do stuff on his own, even if it turns out terrible!”

Her giggle seemed to infect her sister too, who allowed herself to chuckle at the reminder and voice her agreement of Kid’s often unreasonable but occasionally admirable stubbornness.

“Nobody said anything about making your gift for you, dummy,” Liz assured. “Honestly, neither of us would want to do that anyways. We’re just here to help out; y’know, provide some tips, advice, you get what I mean. That way you can put… whatever this is…” She shifted over to the table that Soul stood next to and prodded the poorly put together gift basket with a single manicured fingernail. “... into something more impressive before Valentine’s Day actually hits.”

Soul didn’t reply immediately, and gazed at the two girls with a deep frown crossing his face. He’d really have rather done everything on his own, so that way he had the proud feeling of not needing anyone else’s help. He knew the ribbons slipping off the basket handle and the visible glue marks on the fabric were all sloppy and a result of his inexperience though, and a sense of shame bubbled up in his throat. Maka deserved only the best, and if achieving that meant shoving down his insignificant pride, then so be it.

“... Fine,” He relented. “What do you know? How can I make this better for Maka?”

A look of triumph passed over Liz’s face, and Patty let out a whoop that let Soul know she felt exactly the same way. He wasn’t sure why he had even bothered to try and push them away, in hindsight. The two were as stubborn as their meister on a bad day when they wanted to be, and while Soul knew he could have turned them away if he really wanted to, they would have stuck around anyways to “indirectly help”.

“Perfect!” Liz clapped. “I already know where to start. Patty, go buy crinkle paper! Soul, let’s start taking off this fabric; it’s an absolute mess and ruins the appeal of the basket anyways.”

* * *

Valentine’s Day that year was mercifully cool, or at least as cool as the desert during the day could get during the late winter. It was a fact that Maka found herself thanking endlessly as she quietly shut the door behind her and paused to toe off her slip-ons, arms full to the point of nearly spilling the contents of the bags she cradled. She wasn’t normally a particularly noisy girl, but the quietness she displayed now was so uncharacteristic of her there was no way to dismiss it as anything but deliberate.

“Soul?” She called quietly, the pause she took afterwards making it seem as if she was almost afraid to get a response. “Are you there? Soul? … Blair?”

When she didn’t get a response, all the tension in her body seemed to release as if her whole being was letting out one giant sigh of relief. The nervous tip-toeing she had been doing came to an end, and now she moved with purpose. She knew what she had to do, and had no questions about how she planned to go about it. She had planned everything out to a T beforehand, and now that she knew she could move without fear of being disturbed, her moves had all the confidence of someone who knew every step of the game.

Her feet padded quietly through the halls, the grin on her face not even necessary to see her excitement. Her eyes sparkled, and a soft, albeit slightly off tune song filled the hallways as she hummed. It stopped only after she dropped her belongings off in her room and returned to the entrance of the kitchen with grocery bags in hand, and even then it was only because she had begun to list off cooking instructions under her breath.

“Let’s see… Mix the liquids together… Set the pan on medium and pour them in…”

As far as she had been aware, Maka had had the entirety of the apartment to herself to do as she wished, so one could imagine her surprise when slumped over the kitchen table was her boyfriend.

His head was tucked snugly into the crook of his arms as he dozed on, the only movements he made being the soft rise and fall of his body as he breathed. His hoodie had been taken off and draped over the back of his chair to reveal the light muscle mass of Soul’s arms that was hidden by fabric more often than not.

Maka took a moment to take in the sight of Soul fast asleep on the table in amusement before her eyes drifted away to notice the neatly decorated basket sitting next to him. It was absolutely gorgeous while still managing to not be overly flashy, and she felt herself stop breathing for a split second. Slowly she made her way over the table and set aside the bags in her arms to pull the basket towards her, taking each item out to admire with all the care of handling a glass vase. Each item was precious to her, and even if she knew nothing would break from being touched, it would be awful if she were to damage anything even in the slightest.

“Oh, Soul…” She murmured, clutching a book to her chest. When had he realized she had wanted to get her hands on this book so badly? She hadn’t mentioned anything about the library system not having it in their collection… He was far more attentive than she gave him credit for.

Soul let out a quiet groan and stirred, almost as if he had heard her call, and Maka quickly stifled any potential noises she was making. Her poor weapon looked utterly exhausted, and it was the least she could do to leave him to continue resting, even if it was only until she finished cooking.

She placed the book down onto the table with a quiet thump, and in exchange, filled her hands with a package of meat she had just picked up from the store. She had made sacrifices to get this far, and she would be damned if she would let her own surprise get ruined now. She wasn’t going to let the countless hours spent in her father’s kitchen––and unfortunately under his oppressive doting as a result––go to waste.

* * *

 Soul awoke to the sound of sizzling and the musical chirp of their rice cooker going off, blinking blearily as he pushed himself up off the table. He was halfway through rolling his neck when he jolted to attention and shoved himself out of the chair with gritted teeth.

“Crap!” He hissed. “My gift…!”

Maka’s own matter-of-fact voice responded to his concerns in turn, shushing him with a glance behind her so she could make brief eye contact.

“If only you were this concerned when it came to your homework assignments,” She teased. “Happy Valentine’s Day. I saw your gift basket. I loved it. It’s perfect, and the cookies are amazing.” She paused to glance back at him again, to make sure he was processing what she was saying. “When did you realize I wanted that book?”

Realizing that Maka had already gone through his present and more importantly, enjoyed it, Soul let himself sink back into the chair he had shoved back just a minute before. He had kind of wanted to see her go through the basket if he was being honest, but as long as she had been happy with it, that was all that mattered.

He shrugged in response, and elaborated only upon figuring out that his girlfriend of eight months and partner of two years couldn’t, you know, see him. “You always come home from the library looking all pleased with yourself and a pile of books in your arms, but one day you came home looking _upset_ and with a pile of books in your arms, so I just figured you missed something you wanted. I asked around and Tsubaki said you had told her you couldn’t find this book and seemed really upset about it so… I bought the whole series. Thought you might like to have it.”

Maka hummed. “I couldn’t find it at the school library, and the public library had a hold wait of four months. I thought I’d have to wait forever to read it…” She stopped her fiddling with the food on the pan and reached to set a lid over it, turning to face him with lightly flushed cheeks. “Thank you. I really loved your gift.”

Holy shit, Soul thought. She is so fucking cute. My girlfriend is so fucking cute.

He pushed back his chair, and strode up to her in one, two steps. The two of them were only half a step away from each other. Maka made a point of avoiding his eyes, instead choosing to study the fascinating makeup of their ceramic floor tiles. Her fingers moved up to brush her loose hair behind her ear, and Soul could clearly make out the gradually deepening blush across her cheeks.

He reached to grasp both her hands, and waited until she made eye contact with him to ask, “Can I kiss you?” There was no forcefulness to the tone; it wasn’t a demand. It was a request, and if he was told no, then he would back down. There was nothing Soul respected more than Maka’s boundaries, not when he knew how nervous and uncertain she was about their more intimate acts of affection.

The flush of pink across her cheeks immediately deepened into a light red, and Maka looked everywhere but his face for a good thirty seconds. She didn’t pull away though, and Soul was content to wait for her answer.

“Ah… Yeah…”

Soul didn’t need anything more than that, and didn’t hesitate to lean forward and press their lips together. Maka was stiff in nervousness at first, but soon relaxed and allowed herself to lean into the kiss. It wasn’t anything deep or sexual, but it was intimate and full of their love for each other, and that was all the two needed.

They pulled apart, and Maka pulled one of her hand away from Soul’s to play with one of her pigtails. She was clearly embarrassed, but the small, giddy smile on her face spoke leagues for how she really felt.

They stood their for a moment simply enjoying the other’s presence before Maka let out a gasp and quickly turned around to check on the pan, leaving Soul to press himself up against her back. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder to get a peek at what she was making. When he did, his eyes lit up.

“You outdid yourself Maka. I can’t believe you learned to make my favorite. Normally Blair handles the cooking for dinner…” He leaned back to avoid the playful swat at his head. “Thanks babe.”

Maka rolled her eyes and insisted, “This isn’t the only thing I did for Valentine’s. Go check your room while I set up for dinner. Shoo.”

Soul peeled himself away from her and wandered off in curiosity, grabbing his jacket off the chair as he passed by. He figured he could toss it in his room while he was at it, which he did, right next to the small gift box sitting smack dab in the middle of his bed. He gave it a quick shake to try and determine what would be in such a small box, but quickly gave up and resorted to actually properly opening the gift. He would never have been able to predict what was in the gift anyways.

“Holy shit!” Maka heard him yell from the other side of the apartment, and suppressed a grin as she set their servings on the table. “Maka, I can’t believe you!”

Soul came tumbling into the kitchen seconds later, two creased pieces of paper in hand. His eyes were wide, and the grin on his face infectious. Maka couldn’t hold back her own anymore.

“Season passes! You really got me season passes?” He looked at her in adoring disbelief, and Maka let out a laugh as she nodded. “Dude, now I feel like I should have bought you so much more? This is amazing Maka. Thank you so much.”

Maka sat down in her seat and stared at him in amusement. “Your present was fine Soul. I told you I loved it, right? I’m going to be reading those for ages. I couldn’t have asked for anything better for a gift. Now come sit down before your food gets cold!”

The two shared a smile, and Soul tucked the printed receipts out into his pocket. As he sat down across from Maka, who had begun to talk about her day, he couldn’t help but think that nothing, not even season passes to watch his favorite sport, could be a better gift than being able to be in love with her.

**Author's Note:**

> I really think Maka would be the type to like... be very chaste, for a long while? She would want to take any physical developments really slow, especially given her father's habits... But I also especially don't take her as the type to do anything sexual while underage either, so there's that too. They probably don't go past cuddling and holding hands for a good while, I think. And even that has to move from just in private to in public. At this point, they've probably only been kissing for a few months, at most.


End file.
